THE Irish Scientist 1996 Year Book has just been published. The Irish Scientist is an annual forum in which Irish scientists can draw the attention of other scientists, policymaker and the public to their activities. This is the fourth year of its publication and it gets bigger and more impressive every year. It is an excellent overview of the state of Irish science.
The book contains reports from many research workers and groups around the country, North and South, describing their work and its significance. There are 153 reports coming from researchers in universities, RTCs, DIT, and various organisations, such as Teagasc, Forbairt, research institutes, museums and science centres.
The year book also carries other interesting articles, including a summary of a survey of attitudes in Ireland to science and technology, an article on eminent Irish women scientists and an article on the importance of fostering appreciation for science and technology in the mainstream of Irish culture. And last, but by no means least, there is a short presentation by the Minister of State for Commerce, Science and Technology, Mr Pat Rabbitte.
The baseline survey carried out by Forfas on Irish attitudes to science and technology is a valuable study. Four groups were surveyed adults in general, senior civil servants, senior business people and transition year students.
The adults were asked how much they respected various professions. Respect was accorded in the following order, with the percentage feeling high respect in brackets after the profession: medical doctor (82), teacher (80), dentist (75), scientist (69), engineer (62), lawyer (53), accountant (50),
(30).
Some 71 per cent of all adults surveyed agreed with the statement: "Only by applying the most modern technology can our economy become more competitive". And 71 per cent of all adults also agreed with the statement: "Science and technology are making our lives healthier, easier and more comfortable".
However, 57 per cent of adults surveyed agreed with the statement: "On balance, science and technology are responsible for more job losses than job gains". About half the people surveyed agreed with the statement: "On balance, science and technology damage the environment". Some 65 per cent of adults surveyed felt that Irish media should give more time and space to scientific discoveries and technological information.
There is a riveting report on the Rev Prof Michael Casey, of St Patrick's College, Maynooth. Prof Casey is the longest serving professional chemist in the world. Although in his 95th year, he still spends three hours a day in the laboratory. He continues to publish academic papers in journals, with one paper in 1994, two in 1995, and three in 1996. That was little short of my "hit rate" for publications over the same period.
Science was not, to put it mildly, a traditional university choice for women. That picture has changed very much in recent years. About 25 years ago, in my own subject, only 20 per cent of graduating biochemists were women. Today that figure is more like 60 per cent.
Dr Charles Mollan, the editor, contributes an interesting article to the Irish Scientist in which he profiles three eminent Irish women scientists. These are Dame Kathleen Lonsdale, Ms Anne Kernan and Ms Jocelyn Bell Burnell.
Possibly Ireland's most eminent woman scientist ever was Dame Kathleen Lonsdale (1903-1971). During her career she collaborated with three Nobel scientists.
Dame Lonsdale was born in Newbridge, Co. Kildare, and the family moved to Essex in 1908. Her most famous discovery was to demonstrate in 1929 that the benzene ring is flat. She became professor of chemistry at University College, London, and, among other noted works, she edited the three volumes of International Tables for X ray Crystallography the standard work in the field.
During the war, as a pacifist, she refused to register for civil defence duties and was sent to jail in 1943. In 1945, she became the first woman to be elected to Fellowship of the Royal Society.
Dr Daniel O'Hare, president of DCU, draws attention to the importance of the report of the Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Committee, which was published last year (STIAC Report). This report is acknowledged as a landmark in the history of the development of Irish science and technology.
Too often in the past, reports on Irish science and technology were left to gather dust. This will not happen with the STIAC recommendations, although it remains to be seen how fully and quickly the various recommendations will be implemented. But, as Dr O'Hare points out, regardless of the infrastructures put in place to assist Irish science, they will not be fully effective unless a general culture of appreciation for science and technology is developed here.
SCIENCE was not traditionally seen as a very desirable career option in Ireland. As a result, few senior civil servants or career politicians have had any background in science.
Science is not yet part of the Irish national self image. And yet, as Dr O'Hare points out, over the past 25 years, Irish third level education has taken a very decisive swing towards science related disciplines.
In this year's intake to third level colleges, twice as many students are taking science related courses as those taking courses in the arts and humanities.
One important aid in fostering general appreciation for science and technology is the science museum and the science centre. Ireland is particularly badly off in this respect. However, several initiatives are now under way to correct this problem and some of these are described in the Irish Scientist.
An important science centre is under development at Birr Castle, Co Offaly. This was the site of the great telescope built by the Third Earl of Rosse in the 1840s. This 66 ft telescope enabled the Third Earl to peer further into space than ever before and to discover the spiral nature of some of the galaxies. The telescope is now being restored and will be on display as part of the Birr science centre, whose first phase will be opened in 1998.
A very interesting interactive science centre (The Science Works) was opened in Tralee in May this year. This centre has over 60 exhibits, including hands on experiments and, according to the report in the Irish Scientist, is both entertaining and educational. The Science Works will launch Ireland's first science outreach programme in 1997.
The Dublin Interactive Science Project hopes to establish an interactive science museum in the Dublin Custom House Docks Development. The intention is to establish a facility that will allow visitors to work with interactive models and thereby gain an understanding of basic scientific principles. The entry under the Interactive Science Project points out that Irish science based industries employ a labour force of 1.1 million.
The Irish Scientist is published by Samptoa Ltd, 17 Pine Lawn, Newtownpark Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin, (Tel; 01 2896186). It is available from all major book shops.
Answers to last week's quiz.
1. 10-20 billion years; 2. The Big Bang Theory, 3. Hydrogen, 4. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642); 7. Rene Descartes (1596-1650), 8. Isaac Newton (1643-1727); 9. George Boole (1815-1864); 10. five billion years ago; 11. 3 1/2 billion years ago; 12. Ozone layer; 13. Alfred Russell Wallace (1823-1913); 14. Energy; 15. (a) Disorder, (b) Entropy; 16. Pre formed life was seeded on Earth; 17. Louis Pasteur (1822-1895); 18. Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543); 19. 92 elements; 20. (a) Hydrogen, (b) Uranium; 21. Carbon; 22. Water; 23. DNA; 24. 75 years; 25. 50 years; 26. The Beagle; 27. On the Origin of Species; 28. Thomas Huxley (1825-1895); 29. Creationism; 30. Speed of light; 31. The General Theory of Relativity; 32. Albert Einstein (1879-1955); 33. Naturally occurring radioactive gas; 34. (b) Heart/lung efficiency; 35. The distance light travels in one year; 36. Ice is less dense than water; 37. Penguins are confined to South Pole, polar bears to North Pole; 38. Wilhelm Roentgen (1845-1923); 39. Henri Becquerel (1852-1908); 40. Ernest T.S. Walton (1903-1995); 41. Gregor Mendel (1822-1884); 42. (a) Jupiter, (b) Pluto; 43. (a) Mercury, (b) Pluto; 44. Nuclear Fusion; 45. five billion years. 46. Nearly 3/; 47. Nitrogen; 48. The Sun; 49. Carbon dioxide; 50. Calder Hall (on Sellafield site).